Tomorrow's Hits

The Men

Amoeba Review

03/03/2014

On last year’s New Moon The Men made some moves away from their punky roots and toward classic country and singer/songwriter territory, but they’ve got a serious honky-tonk vibe going on on Tomorrow’s Hits. “Dark Waltz” sounds like a loud-ass bar band covering Bob Dylan, lovably ragged and rollicking with saloon piano, shout-along choruses and tasty blues licks creating sizable noise. Songs like “Get What You Give” are more delicate, embracing more intricate guitar parts amid big rock riffs, while the drums hit hard and the delivery is still defiantly punk. Fans of the band’s early work shouldn’t worry, though—there’s plenty of rush and energy to songs like “Different Days,” even as the band throws pianos and organ into the mix, and “Pearly Gates” is the kind of hardcore-meets-blues raveup that only a band like The Men can pull off. So while they’re more Neil Young than Husker Du these days, they’ve by no means become boring. Far from it— Tomorrow’s Hits sounds like the band The Men were destined to be.